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What Causes Broken Blood Vessels on the Face?

  • Home Remedies

Broken blood vessels, also known as spider veins , can occur in most body areas. When they appear on the face, they usually look like small, red lines that spread into a webbed shape. They also commonly develop in the legs.  

Anyone can experience broken blood vessels in the face. Your risk may be higher if you have certain chronic health conditions such as rosacea . It is important to see a healthcare provider to learn the cause of broken blood vessels and how to treat them. Several treatment options are available.

This article will provide an overview of broken blood vessels on the face, including the causes and treatment options. 

Svetlana Dolgova / Getty Images

A variety of factors can lead to broken blood vessels on the face. Your risk may be higher if you have experienced any of the following:

  • Genetics : If you have a family member with broken blood vessels or spider veins, your risk of developing them is higher.  
  • Age and sun exposure : Solar purpura is a condition in which blood vessels leak under the skin, especially in older people and in areas of skin that have had a lot of sun exposure.
  • Weather changes : Spending time in extreme heat causes the blood vessels to dilate and may make them more noticeable under the skin.  
  • Changes in pressure : A sudden change in air pressure (such as in diving or flying) may cause blood vessels in the face to break and look more visible. 
  • Pregnancy : During pregnancy , increased levels of estrogen raise the risk of broken blood vessels. They usually resolve on their own after delivery.  
  • Environmental or chemical irritants: Being exposed to environmental or chemical irritants near the face may lead to broken blood vessels. 
  • Rosacea: Rosacea is a common skin condition that causes facial redness, flushing, swelling, and visible blood vessels.  
  • Alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol causes the skin to flush and blood vessels to dilate. Over time, binge drinking can lead to spider veins in the body.  
  • Head injuries: Any injury to the face can cause bruising and make the blood vessels more visible. 
  • Vomiting or sneezing: Vomiting or a strong sneeze can cause increased pressure in the face. This pressure can cause the blood vessels to break.

How Are Broken Blood Vessels on the Face Diagnosed?

Broken blood vessels or spider veins in the face are common and usually harmless. You may be able to identify them at home based on their appearance. They look like fine red lines that form a web pattern on the skin. 

If you are uncomfortable with the appearance of facial spider veins, consider seeing a healthcare provider. They will likely refer you to a dermatologist (a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin conditions) or a facial plastic surgeon (a medical doctor who treats structures of the head and neck).

A dermatologist can diagnose spider veins with a physical exam. Tests used to evaluate veins in the body include an ultrasound and venogram . In most cases, a dermatologist diagnoses broken blood vessels in the face by examining them.  

Home Remedies for Broken Blood Vessels on the Face

You may be curious about trying home remedies to treat your spider veins. Because most home remedies have not been proven effective or safe, talk with a healthcare provider first. 

Avoiding Hot Water and Extreme Temperatures

Use warm water in the shower and when washing your face. Hot water can cause broken blood vessels because it causes the blood vessels to dilate and become more noticeable. 

Cold Compress for Immediate Relief

Because heat dilates (widens) blood vessels, try a cold compress to cause blood vessels to constrict (narrow). This can provide soothing relief and make blood vessels less visible. 

Apple Cider Vinegar

A 2016 study found that applying apple cider vinegar to the skin may decrease the appearance of spider veins and improve skin redness. Consider starting with a very small amount of diluted apple cider vinegar to see how your skin responds to it. 

Arnica is an herb that has been used for pain relief in the past, especially in homeopathic medicine. It may contain anti-inflammatory compounds that are effective for skin conditions like spider veins. Arnica oil is available as a topical treatment. Do not use arnica oil if you are pregnant or have certain plant allergies.  

Witch Hazel

Witch hazel is a natural remedy made from a plant. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved witch hazel as an ingredient in over-the-counter (OTC) skin products. Applying witch hazel to the skin may reduce inflammation.

Talk with a healthcare provider about how much witch hazel to use on your skin. 

Aloe vera is a plant with long, thick leaves that contain a gel that can be applied to the skin. This gel has been used to treat several skin conditions like sunburns , frostbite , and bedsores . Aloe vera is also a common ingredient in facial cleansers and moisturizers. Start with a small amount and go up from there.  

Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient that has several skin benefits including reduced inflammation, improved wound healing, and increased hydration. It has been found to protect against sun damage which may reduce the risk of broken blood vessels on the face.

Talk with a dermatologist about adding a skin serum with vitamin C to your skin care routine. 

Several types of plants and herbs may be beneficial for skin health. For example, horse chestnut is an herb that can be applied directly to the skin and may treat skin issues like broken blood vessels. Talk with a dermatologist before using herbs on your skin daily. 

Medical Treatments for Broken Blood Vessels on the Face

If home remedies and lifestyle changes have not improved the appearance of broken blood vessels on your face, you may consider seeing a dermatologist for prescription treatments and procedures. 

Retinoids are compounds in vitamin A that have been used to treat skin conditions like rosacea and acne . They may reduce the appearance of broken blood vessels in the face. They work by removing the outermost layer of skin. Ask your dermatologist for retinoid product recommendations. 

Laser therapy 

Laser therapy uses intense, narrow beams of coherent light (the peaks and troughs of the light waves are lined up) to minimize the appearance of spider veins on the skin. It may also be used to destroy veins that are not functioning properly. Your dermatologist may recommend several sessions of laser therapy to treat your spider veins.  

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy

Intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy uses a light that penetrates the first layer of skin without harming it. It reaches the second layer of skin to treat inflammatory skin conditions like acne, rosacea, and psoriasis. Ask your dermatologist or facial plastic surgeon if IPL could be an option for the broken blood vessels on your face. 

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is a spider vein treatment that uses injections. A dermatologist injects a solution into the broken blood vessels that causes them to close. Once the blood vessels have closed, the blood reroutes to other blood vessels. This lessens the appearance of spider veins in the skin.  

How to Prevent Broken Blood Vessels From Forming on Your Face

Fortunately, preventing or lowering the risk of developing broken blood vessels in your face is possible. To reduce your risk of spider veins in your face, consider the following tips: 

  • Limit your sunlight exposure.
  • Always wear sunscreen and a hat when spending time outdoors.
  • Try to limit the amount of time you spend in extreme heat.
  • Drink alcohol only in moderation or avoid it. 
  • Wear protective gear when engaging in sports.
  • Follow your dermatologist’s treatment plan. 

Broken blood vessels, also known as spider veins, are common and usually harmless. On the face, they appear as fine, red lines that form a web pattern. Possible causes of broken blood vessels on the face are genetics, skin conditions such as rosacea, and environmental factors like sunlight exposure. 

See a dermatologist or facial plastic surgeon if you are interested in treating the broken blood vessels on your face. Treatment options include retinoids, laser therapy, intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy, and sclerotherapy. Natural remedies may be helpful but require more research. See a healthcare provider for next steps.

Office on Women’s Health. Varicose veins and spider veins .

American Academy of Dermatology Association. Rosacea: signs and symptoms .

Kaiser Permanente. Solar purpura .

National Weather Service. Summer heat: the silent killer .

Nemours Kids Health. Why do some pregnant women get varicose veins? .

Jain NP, Shao K, Stewart C, Grant-Kels JM. The effects of alcohol and illicit drug use on the skin . Clin Dermatol . 2021;39(5):772-783. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2021.05.005

Atik D, Atik C, Karatepe C. The effect of external apple vinegar application on varicosity symptoms, pain, and social appearance anxiety: a randomized controlled trial . Evid Based Complement Alternat Med . 2016;2016:6473678. doi:10.1155/2016/6473678

Kriplani P, Guarve K, Baghael US. Arnica montana L. - a plant of healing: review . J Pharm Pharmacol. 2017;69(8):925-945. doi:10.1111/jphp.12724

Food and Drug Administration. CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21. Volume 5. Skin protection drug products for over-the-counter human use .

Chularojanamontri L, Tuchinda P, Kulthanan K, Pongparit K. Moisturizers for acne: What are their constituents? J Clin Aesthet Dermatol . 2014 May;7(5):36-44.

Fox LT, du Plessis J, Gerber M, van Zyl S, Boneschans B, Hamman JH. In vivo skin hydration and anti-erythema effects of Aloe vera, Aloe ferox and Aloe marlothii gel materials after single and multiple applications . Pharmacogn Mag . 2014;10(Suppl 2):S392-S403. doi:10.4103/0973-1296.133291

Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The roles of vitamin C in skin health . Nutrients . 2017;9(8):866. doi:10.3390/nu9080866

Tabassum N, Hamdani M. Plants used to treat skin diseases . Pharmacogn Rev . 2014;8(15):52-60. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.125531

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Horse chestnut .

American Academy of Dermatology Association. Retinoid or retinol? . 

National Cancer Institute. Definition of laser therapy .

Cai Y, Zhu Y, Wang Y, Xiang W. Intense pulsed light treatment for inflammatory skin diseases: a review . Lasers Med Sci . 2022;37(8):3085-3105. doi:10.1007/s10103-022-03620-1

Rabe E, Breu FX, Flessenkämper I, et al. Sclerotherapy in the treatment of varicose veins : S2k guideline of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Phlebologie (DGP) in cooperation with the following societies: DDG, DGA, DGG, BVP. Leitlinie Sklerosierungsbehandlung der Varikose : S2k-Leitlinie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Phlebologie (DGP) in Kooperation mit folgenden Fachgesellschaften: DDG, DGA, DGG, BVP. Englische Version . Hautarzt . 2021;72(Suppl 2):23-36. doi:10.1007/s00105-020-04705-0

By Carrie Madormo, RN, MPH Carrie Madormo, RN, MPH, is a health writer with over a decade of experience working as a registered nurse. She has practiced in a variety of settings including pediatrics, oncology, chronic pain, and public health.

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Broken voyage.

By g. w. barrington.

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  • My Preferences
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Summary and Analysis Book 11

The Land of the Dead is near the homes of the Cimmerians, who live "shrouded in mist and cloud" (11.17), never seeing the sun. Odysseus follows Circe's instructions, digging a trench at the site prescribed and pouring libations of milk, honey, mellow wine, and pure water. He ceremoniously sprinkles barley and then sacrifices a ram and a ewe, the dark blood flowing into the trench to attract the dead.

First to approach is Elpenor, one of Odysseus' men who died just before the crew left Circe's home. Elpenor had spent the last night in a drunken stupor on Circe's roofs, breaking his neck as he fell off when he arose at dawn. Because of the urgency of Odysseus' journey to the Land of the Dead, Elpenor was left unburied, and his spirit requests proper rites when the Greeks return to Aeaea. Others are drawn to the blood: Odysseus' mother, Anticleia; Tiresias the prophet; and old comrades Agamemnon and Achilles, among others.

The journey to the Land of the Dead — where the dead ("souls") receive reciprocity ("Justice") — is not so much a test for Odysseus as it is an epiphany. His mortality is put in context as he watches the shades of warrior comrades, legendary figures, and even his own mother. Following instructions, he must speak with Tiresias, the blind seer from Thebes, before he can allow his mother or any others to approach. Drinking the blood temporarily revitalizes the dead; briefly they can communicate with Odysseus and speak only truth.

Tiresias observes that one of the gods, the earth shaker (Poseidon), is angry with Odysseus for blinding his son (Polyphemus, the Cyclops) and will cause Odysseus and his men many problems. However, Tiresias reports, the Greeks can get home alive if they use proper judgment and control. Above all, they must not harm the cattle of Helios, the Sungod, no matter the temptation. If they do, Odysseus' men will die. Echoing the curse of the Cyclops (9.590-95), Tiresias warns that Odysseus himself might eventually arrive home, but he will be "a broken man — all shipmates lost" (11.130) and find his household in disarray. Furthermore, the prophet instructs Odysseus that he must eventually pursue yet another quest, carrying his oar inland until he meets a race of men who know so little about the sea that they think the oar is "a fan to winnow grain" (11.146). At that place, Odysseus is to make certain sacrifices to Poseidon. If he follows these and other instructions, Odysseus can live out his life and die in peace. (The journey inland, however, takes place after the events told of in The Odyssey .)

Odysseus' own mother, who died of grief and longing for him, is allowed to approach only after his audience with the seer. Until seeing her among the dead, Odysseus was unaware of his mother's death. She tells him of his father, Laertes, who still lives but similarly grieves and has lost his will. In one of the most moving scenes in the epic, Odysseus tries three times to hold his mother but cannot because she is no longer flesh and blood.

Agamemnon and Achilles, comrades of Odysseus at Troy, are among the many other dead who approach. Agamemnon tells the story of his murder by his wife, Clytemnestra, and her paramour, Aegisthus, a story referred to repeatedly throughout the epic, effectively contrasting the murderous infidelity of Clytemnestra with the dedicated loyalty of Penelope.

More controversial is Achilles' appearance because it contradicts the heroic ideal of death with honor, resulting in some form of glorious immortality. Here, Achilles' attitude is that death is death; he would rather be a living slave to a tenant farmer than king of the dead. His only solace is to hear that his son fares well in life.

The dead flock toward Odysseus. He is overwhelmed and welcomes his departure, feeling that, whatever his struggles in life might be, he prefers them to residence in the Land of the Dead.

Creon king of Thebes, successor to Oedipus.

Oedipus Abandoned at birth and raised by the king of Corinth, he unwittingly killed his father and married his mother.

Leda a queen of Sparta and the mother, by Zeus in the form of a swan, of Helen and Pollux.

Crete an island in the Mediterranean off the southeastern coast of Greece.

Achilles famed warrior, hero of Homer's Iliad.

Tantalus a king punished in Hades by having to stand in water that recedes when he bends to drink it and beneath fruit that ascends when he reaches to eat it.

Sisyphus a cruel king condemned in Hades to the eternal, frustrating effort of rolling a huge stone uphill, only to have it always roll down again.

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All the Broken Places

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A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

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Part 1, Chapters 1-11

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Part 2, Chapters 1-11

Part 2, Chapter 12-Interlude 2

Part 3, Chapters 1-9

Part 3, Chapter 10-Author’s Note

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Summary and Study Guide

John Boyne is the author of All the Broken Places , which he published in 2022 as a sequel to the best-selling, acclaimed, and criticized novel The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2006). The latter is for young adults, and the former is for adults, but All the Broken Places is a largely standalone novel. The first book focuses on nine-year-old Bruno , whose father is the commander of Auschwitz. Bruno meets a Jewish boy, Shmuel , by the fence separating the Nazi death camp from Bruno’s home. To help find Shmuel’s father, Bruno sneaks under the fence, and he and Shmuel die in a gas chamber. All the Broken Places picks up after the war and focuses on Bruno’s older sister, Gretel. Boyne juxtaposes her postwar life as a teen and young adult with her life as a 91-year-old woman in London. The parallel narratives center on themes like The Indelible Impact of History and Trauma , Keeping Secrets Versus Confronting Guilt , and Breaking Cycles of Harm . The novel is a work of historical fiction that incorporates elements from the mystery and thriller genres.

The page numbers in the study guide refer to the 2022 Viking e-book edition.

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Content Warning: In addition to the innumerable traumas tied to the Holocaust and World War II, All the Broken Places depicts child and domestic abuse, gaslighting, suicidal ideation, self-harm, grooming, and outdated language about race and sexuality.

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The story switches between past and present. To keep the narrative clear, the plot summary focuses on Gretel’s past and then her present in chronological order.

The war is over. Nazi Germany lost, and people hate Nazis. Gretel’s father was the commander of Auschwitz, the infamous concentration camp where over 1 million people died. The Allies hold trials for top Nazis and hang Gretel’s father.

To avoid possible punishment, Gretel and her mother change their names and stories and hide in Paris. Fifteen-year-old Gretel pursues a teen shop worker, Émile Vannier, and her mother, who now goes by Nathalie, has a romantic relationship with the ostentatious Rémy Toussaint.

Émile’s brother was a part of the French Resistance, and the Nazis killed him. Rémy and his brother were in the Resistance, and the Nazis killed his brother. Émile and Rémy trick Gretel and her mother into coming to a warehouse, where they, along with other locals with loved ones brutalized by Nazis, strip them and violently slice off clumps of their hair.

After Nathalie dies from alcoholism and grief, Gretel moves to Sydney, Australia, where she works at a woman’s clothing shop and lives with a tall, Irish lesbian, named Cait . Cait works at a bar, and Gretel sees a mysterious man there. She realizes the man is Kurt Kotler , who, as a teen SS officer, was an assistant to Gretel’s father. Out of revenge and hopelessness, Gretel plans to kidnap his son, Hugo, and kill him and herself. She lacks the cruelty to do it. Instead, she confronts Kurt at a cafe, but given the chance, she doesn’t expose Kurt to two nearby police officers, as that would also expose her identity.

In London, from 1953 to 1954, Gretel works at the Harrods department store and begins a romantic relationship with an assistant manager, David Rotheram . She also becomes friends with David’s friend, Edgar Fernsby , and the three of them see a documentary about World War II and the Holocaust. The movie features Gretel’s family, and, shocked, Gretel runs out of the theater and throws herself in front of a bus.

Gretel lives and tells David the truth. Because Nazis gassed David’s mother, father, and sister at the Treblinka concentration camp, David wants nothing to do with Gretel. He doesn’t know that Gretel is pregnant or that he’s the father.

Edgar doesn’t care that she’s pregnant, and though he wants to hate Gretel for her Nazi past, he loves her. They marry, and Gretel names her daughter Heidi before putting her up for adoption. Edgar becomes a famous historian, publishing a three-volume history of World War II and the Holocaust. They have a son, Caden, and move into the pricey Winterville Court so that Gretel can be near Heidi, who lives across the hall and doesn’t know that Gretel is her biological mother.

In 2022, Gretel is 91, and she lives by herself. Edgar died in 2008 due to asthma, and Heidi has physical and mental conditions. A family moves into the flat beneath Gretel. The mother, Madelyn, is an actress, the father, Alex, is a film producer, and their son, Henry, is nine. Gretel doesn’t like young boys, as they remind her of her brother and traumatic past. The family brings drama into Winterville Court. Gretel overhears an argument and sees Madelyn outside dragging a rock across her face. She also notices that Henry regularly has injuries and bruises.

One day, Madelyn, feeling out of sorts, asks Gretel to pick up Henry from school. Madelyn says that Gretel can’t tell Alex. If Alex finds out, he’ll kill Madelyn. The teacher must call Alex to get his approval. Later, Madelyn tries to kill herself by overdosing on sleeping pills, and Gretel discusses the situation with Eleanor , Caden’s soon-to-be fourth wife. They tell the police, but Gretel doesn’t think the police will stop Alex.

Gretel confronts Alex about his abusive behavior, but he discovers her past, and if she exposes him, he’ll expose her. Gretel agrees to leave the family alone but then decides to act. She kills Alex the day before Caden marries Eleanor. Gretel goes to the wedding and has a pleasant time. She then goes to jail, which she describes as a retirement home. In jail, she finally faces her past and confronts her trauma. She says her brother’s name, Bruno.

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All the Broken Places : Book summary and reviews of All the Broken Places by John Boyne

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All the Broken Places

by John Boyne

All the Broken Places by John Boyne

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Published Nov 2022 400 pages Genre: Historical Fiction Publication Information

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About this book

Book summary.

From the New York Times bestselling author John Boyne, a devastating, beautiful story about a woman who must confront the sins of her own terrible past, and a present in which it is never too late for bravery.

Ninety-one-year-old Gretel Fernsby has lived in the same well-to-do mansion block in London for decades. She lives a quiet, comfortable life, despite her deeply disturbing, dark past. She doesn't talk about her escape from Nazi Germany at age 12. She doesn't talk about the grim post-war years in France with her mother. Most of all, she doesn't talk about her father, who was the commandant of one of the Reich's most notorious extermination camps. Then, a new family moves into the apartment below her. In spite of herself, Gretel can't help but begin a friendship with the little boy, Henry, though his presence brings back memories she would rather forget. One night, she witnesses a disturbing, violent argument between Henry's beautiful mother and his arrogant father, one that threatens Gretel's hard-won, self-contained existence. All The Broken Places moves back and forth in time between Gretel's girlhood in Germany to present-day London as a woman whose life has been haunted by the past. Now, Gretel faces a similar crossroads to one she encountered long ago. Back then, she denied her own complicity, but now, faced with a chance to interrogate her guilt, grief and remorse, she can choose to save a young boy. If she does, she will be forced to reveal the secrets she has spent a lifetime protecting. This time, she can make a different choice than before—whatever the cost to herself….

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Reader reviews.

"Boyne handles the alternating narratives well and uses them to create suspense, but they contribute to some avoidable repetitiousness in the writing and an occasional sense of aimlessness in the plot...The ending may spark fierce debate, for what seems to be an act of redemption also smacks of self-justification...A complex, thoughtful character study that avoids easy answers." - Kirkus Reviews "Boyne delivers a seemingly redundant adult sequel to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas ...Boyne creates vivid characters, but a certain thematic obviousness dilutes the dramatic effect. Fans of the first book may enjoy revisiting the material as adults, but this doesn't quite land on its own." - Publishers Weekly "A powerful novel about secrets and atonement after Auschwitz… All the Broken Places is a defence of literature's need to shine a light on the darkest aspects of human nature; and it does so with a novelist's skill, precision and power." - The Guardian (UK) "When is a monster's child culpable? Guilt and complicity are multifaceted. John Boyne is a maestro of historical fiction. You can't prepare yourself for the magnitude and emotional impact of this powerful novel." - John Irving, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The World According to Garp "This novel, this exceptional, layered and compelling story, is built on modern history and all of us people who live it. The protagonist, the elderly, forthright and mysterious Mrs. Fernsby, is more than memorable and every one of Boyne's characters, and every scene, dark or light, is limned in truth and insight. This book moves like a freight train, with force and consequence for the reader." - Amy Bloom, New York Times bestselling author of In Love "John Boyne has written a propulsive, heartrending mystery that delivers on both an intellectual and emotional level. It is the story of Gretel Fernsby, a ninety-one year old woman who has spent her life keeping a terrible secret, and the reckoning she faces when past and present collide. Complex. Ferocious. Beautiful and hard. I could not put this novel down." - Ariel Lawhon, New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène

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Author Information

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John Boyne Author Biography

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John Boyne was born in Ireland in 1971. He is the author of eleven novels for adults, five for younger readers and a collection of short stories. His 2006 novel The Boy In the Striped Pajamas sold 9 million copies worldwide and has been adapted for cinema, theatre, ballet and opera. John has won three Irish Book Awards and many other international literary awards and his novels are published in over 50 languages. He lives in Dublin.

Author Interview Link to John Boyne's Website

Name Pronunciation John Boyne: BOYn

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John Boyne.

All the Broken Places by John Boyne review – a sequel of sorts

The follow-up to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a powerful novel about secrets and atonement after Auschwitz

J ohn Boyne’s latest novel is a sequel of sorts to 2006’s The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas , perhaps his best known work. Written for children, it was essentially a fable, about Bruno, the young son of an Auschwitz commander, who makes friends with Shmuel, a Jewish boy, through the fence that surrounds the camp. Although the book has been accused of spreading misinformation about the Holocaust , it remains an involving account of humanity amid horror.

Boyne explains that he began making notes for All the Broken Places as soon as he’d finished writing its predecessor. Its major themes are guilt, complicity and the apparently inescapable cycles of grief arising from world-shaking events. It is gripping, well honed and very much aimed at adults.

Gretel, Bruno’s grieving, guilt-ridden sister, is the narrator. The reader gradually pieces together her story as the narrative switches confidently from present-day Mayfair, where for decades she has been living in a comfortable flat, to her peripatetic past. As she tries to escape the chaos of the end of the second world war, she grapples with her memories of Auschwitz, her parents and her own part in her brother’s death. These are vividly detailed, with a sense of revenge and retribution always lurking around the corner.

Gretel’s smart, engaging and uncompromising voice draws the reader in deftly – at the beginning she feels like a cosy crime heroine, or the deliciously spiky narrator found in Zoë Heller’s Notes on a Scandal. She spies on her wealthy new neighbours: a film producer, his wife and their small son, Henry. But it doesn’t stay cosy for long. Gretel and the film producer are both hiding very dark secrets indeed. The two circle each other warily, as Gretel considers how much she is prepared to do to save someone’s life without compromising her own safety.

There are few functioning families within the novel: everyone is affected by the reach of war, its tendrils stretching across the planet and through time. Warped parent/child relationships range from the apparently trivial (Gretel’s greedy son wants her to sell her luxurious flat) to the truly monstrous. Gretel’s mother, we learn, remained a true believer in nazism until the end. In the present-day plot strand, the film producer’s abuse of his family threatens to erupt into tragedy. Henry is a ghost-like figure, reminding Gretel both of her dead brother and of her failures as a mother.

The novel is consummately constructed, humming with tension until past and present collide. There are moments of shocking violence, such as in postwar Paris, where residents’ hatred of Nazis explodes. Boyne also explores the deeply personal aspects of the war’s aftermath. In Australia, where Gretel flees in order to be as far away from Europe as possible, an idyll is shattered by a revenant; having retreated to London, she falls in love with a Jew who has lost relatives in the concentration camps, and has no idea of her background. These moments of tender, fractured personal interactions are as devastating as the blood and gore.

Gretel’s final act is worthy of a tragic heroine: elements of purgation are involved, as she confronts her own and others’ evil. The book forces us to consider the nature of atonement, and whether violence can ever justify the prevention of something even worse. All the Broken Places is a defence of literature’s need to shine a light on the darkest aspects of human nature; and it does so with a novelist’s skill, precision and power.

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Unbroken

  • After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, Olympian Louis Zamperini spends a harrowing 47 days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he's caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.
  • The life of Louis Zamperini , an Olympic athlete who joined the armed forces during the second world war. Only to be captured by the Japanese navy after a plane crash in the Pacific. During his capture, Louie must continue his fight by surviving through the war. — Tristanmerkler01
  • Chronicles the life of Louie Zamperini, an Olympic athlete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics-turned-WWII plane crash survivor and prisoner in two Japanese POW camps. From a rebellious childhood to a life of glory, bravery, and triumph, Louie finds his strength, his fight, and his faith. — jadendb
  • A young Olympian name Louis, goes in the army during the war where his plane crashes, therefore Louis and some other soldiers are obliged to live on a life boat until being found and captured by the Japanese navy. They have been held in a prisoner camp and forced to work for Japan. — Ozhan Yazdani
  • Tale of Louis Zamperini, the Olympic track star who survived a plane crash in World War II, only to fight for his life against nature and eventually as a prisoner of war. Joel and Ethan Coen provide the script. Louis (Jack O'Connell) grows up a rough-hew kid on the verge of becoming a full-on delinquent, until his brother starts training him to be a track star. Louis excels at the sport, and eventually represents America at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. During his training, he learns to become resilient and disciplined; his brother's words of advice, "If you can take it, you can make it," push him to overcome any adversity. He must live up to that adage under the most extreme circumstances after his plane is shot down during another bombing raid. He is stranded at sea for more than a month, only to be found by the Japanese and forced to endure constant physical abuse at the hands of sadistic prison-camp guard Mutsuhiro Watanabe (Japanese pop star Miyavi), who wants to break Louis' indomitable spirit..
  • In the opening scene shows a World War II US Air Corps B-24 Liberator bomber flying somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. Louie Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) is a bombardier and he and his crew are engaged in a bombing mission against a Japanese-held island. Due to flack from enemy AAA ground batteries, many are injured but with their pilot, Phil (Domhnall Gleeson), and Louis's skill, they successfully land the plane even though its been shot hundreds of times. Flashback to a young Louie, living in Torrance, California. He is escorted home by police officers after defending himself against some bullies. We meet his family briefly a traditional Italian family now living in America. At a baseball game, he is caught under the bleachers and ends up running away to avoid trouble; this is how his older brother realizes he is a fast runner. He begins training him. Years later, he becomes the fastest runner in his high school's history and ends up going to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. At the Games, he ends up in last place but manages to speed ahead to set an American world record. In current day, the crew who flew on the shot down plane have been transferred to Hawaii to await reassignment. Louie impresses his fellow army men by continuing to train and beating the four-minute-mile. The men are sent on a mission to search for a lost aircraft and crew. They are given another B-24 but it is notorious as being defective. While on the search, mechanical difficulties cause the plane to crash into the ocean of Oahu, killing eight of the eleven men aboard. The only three to survive are Louie, Phil, and a man named Mac (Finn Wittrock) who make their way onto lifeboats. The three struggle to survive, noting that they have limited rations (they can have one piece of chocolate in the morning and at night, only a few drops of water per day, etc.) On Day 3, an airplane flies overhead and they try to signal it with dye and a flare gun but they go unnoticed. As time goes on, their situation gets more and more bleak. They are bitten by bugs and completely dehydrated. They continue to fight although Mac feels more and more hopeless eventually exhausting their supplies. Amongst the long journey to survive, they clobber an albatross that has landed in their boat and try to eat it but quickly vomit it up. They then instead use the albatross as bait to attract fish and eat it raw. Eventually, sharks begin to circle the boat and they learn to stay low. The men are fatigued and awaken one morning to find a rainstorm. They happily fill up containers with fresh water and drink the drops from the sky. Later, after a treacherous storm, Louie makes a deal with God that if he can survive, he will serve Him for the rest of his days. They all manage to hold on. At one point, Louie finally stabs a shark from the boat and they begin to feast on its meat. After 29 days, another plane flies above and they shoot their flare gun to attack attention. The plane circles around and all are in disbelief that they will finally be rescued after a harrowing four weeks. But then the plane begins firing at them. They all quickly jump into the water and hide from the bullets, kicking sharks away. They resurface back on the life raft but the firing continues. Louie dives back into the water but Mac and Phil huddle back on the boat. When Louie returns to them, he thinks they are dead but they have dodged all of the bullets by staying hunkered in the raft. The plane disappears and they patch up the holes so they can remain afloat. Time continues on nearing 50 days and Mac finally takes a turn for the worse. They wrap his body up and give him a burial at sea. Shortly after, Phil and Louie awaken to both good news and bad news. The good news is a boat has discovered them; the bad news is it is the Japanese and they are now being held prisoner. Louie and Phil are taken to a P.O.W. camp and told they are the enemy and will be treated accordingly by a man who speaks English. He forces them to strip and then begins beating them. He is Mutsushiro Watanabe (Miyavi), nicknamed the Bird, because the prisoners cannot call him what they want to. He is sadistic and it is said that he comes from a military background and is sadistic in an attempt to live up to his father's expectations. He takes special interest in Louie after spotting him looking at him while he is speaking to the prisoners outside. He tells him to look at him and then whacks his nose with a cane. When he stands up again and looks at the Bird on request, he is whacked again. It's only when he tells Louie not to look at him that he leaves him alone. The prisoners are complacent surrounded by the armed Japanese. They are forced to clean out the latrines (Louie says its funny they shit so much considering they have nothing to eat). One day, the Bird says they have some renowned people in their midst and has an opera singer identify himself and then asks who is the Olympic athlete amongst them. Louie reluctantly identifies himself and is forced to run against a young Japanese boy. Because he is fatigued from lack of food, he collapses on the ground; the Bird says he is not so tough and beats him. The sadistic cruelty continues on and on for a long while. Louie is often held in solitary confinement. The prisoners point out that if the Allies ever get to the POW to rescue them, they will be killed on sight. They aren't sure what to root for. One day, a man tells Louie that he wants him to go on the radio and tell his family that he is still alive and that he is being treated fairly, to appease Americans. He agrees, telling his family he is alive which they hear from their home in California. He is then taken to a restaurant where he is asked to make another announcement where he applauds Japan as a culture and to live the rest of his life in the country, as a traitor. He cannot do this and is taken back to the POW camp. The Bird singles Louie out from the crowd and orders every single prisoner (about 200) to punch him in the face. When the first prisoner refuses, the Bird has a weakened Phil beaten. Louie convinces the prisoners to go along with it and is punched over and over, always getting up to take the next punch despite his face being bruised and battered. During an outdoor production of Cinderella, with the prisoners playing all the roles, the Bird sits next to Louie and tells him he is being promoted and transferred to another camp. He tells Louie that this is unfortunate news because he is a friend who took interest in him because of how much strength he exhibited when he first arrived. He prompts Louie to congratulate him on the promotion but Louie stays silent. Life at camp gets immensely better. But then the Allies bomb the neighboring city so the prisoners are relocated to another camp. When they arrive, the Bird appears and Louie passes out at the sight. The cruelty continues. The men are forced to carry large bags of coal up many flights of stairs. The weight of the bags and their fatigue combined causes some men to fall over the railing. One day in April 1945, the prisoners are also informed that President Roosevelt has died. One man breaks down in tears. One day, the Bird orders Louie to pick up a very large steel beam. Louie struggles but the Bird is persistent, telling him he has to hold it over his head. He tells the guards, who are surrounding Louie, to shoot him if he should drop the beam. Louie holds the beam over his head for hours, much to the admiration of his other prisoners. Finally, at nightfall, he is able to lower the beam. The men are told that they have to bathe in the ocean. They are sure they will be executed. When they get into the water, the Allied planes fly overhead; the war is over. They all cheer at having survived. Louie goes into the bathroom of the camp now that they are no longer prisoners; he sees a picture of the Bird as a child with his dictator father. He is disgusted. Louie is flown home to his family and embraced by them. This is juxtaposed with a real life photo of the scene. End credits tell us that the Japanese were held accountable for war crimes but eventually the charges were dropped to assure good relations with the Japanese. Louie kept his promise to obey God and remained religious throughout his life. He forgives all the men who wronged him and meets all of them in person, years later only the Bird refuses to acknowledge him. He also returns to the Olympics, in 1998, to carry a torch when the games are held in Japan. A memorial card reveals he passed away in 2014 (three months prior to the film's release).

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